ASPCA Presents Cat Vs. Dog ‘08

There’s no hiding—election talk is on the tongues around the nation, even the wagging tongues of our furry friends! So if you can’t beat ‘em…join ‘em! We’re holding our very own election for a four-legged President. (Hey, this is supposed to be the year of change, right?) Check out CATvsDOG.org and see what the ASPCA candidates have to say about the most pressing issues concerning animals. Watch them duke it out over animal welfare issues such as puppy mills, “dangerous breed” bans, pets and family violence through the eyes of candidates.

The candidates and their slogans are:

Mittens the Cat: “She takes no cat naps while fighting abuse!”

and

Rowdy the Dog: “100% loyal to the cause against cruelty.”

**SPOILER ALERT: During their debate, Rowdy votes against dog fighting.

Fun as our election is, it does have a purpose. “The goal of the nationwide online campaign is to incite one million Americans to sign a pledge to prevent cruelty and abuse,” said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. “By signing the pledge and casting their vote, people are helping the ASPCA ensure animals have a voice in the upcoming election.” When the election is over, we’ll deliver one million signatures to the newest resident of the White House. We hope our efforts will influence lawmakers to put animal welfare on the agenda.” Psst, we're up to nearly 400,000 signatures. Almost halfway there!

While you’re on CatvsDog.org, don’t forget to take the Presidential Pet Quiz, a fun trivia game about past presidents and their pets.

Who will get your vote? If you can’t decide, ask your pet. (Two barks for Rowdy, a purr for Mittens).

Caption Contest!

Every week we’re going to feature a photo of an animal from the ASPCA Adoption Center. To enter your caption in the contest, just send it as a comment and include your name! The winner will be posted the next week with a new photo. This is a friendly contest, so the prize will be simple bragging rights.

So, what can you come up with for this adorable pic?

COLIN

Example: “Whoops! What happened to the ground? It was just there a minute ago..."

Send us your captions and have fun!!

ASPCA Dog of the Year And Other Humane Awards

Thanks to your nominations, eight spectacular humans and animals have been selected as the 2008 ASPCA Humane Award winners.

“The Humane Awards Luncheon honors those who have gone above and beyond for animal welfare and animal heroes who have dedicated their lives to help others,” says ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres. “It’s a wonderful event that celebrates the important role companion animals play in our lives.”

Let’s give it up for the winners! They are…

ASPCA Dog of the Year
You will never see Cole Massie, a 10-year-old boy from Los Angeles, CA, without Ilia, his furry sidekick. Cole has cerebral palsy, and Ilia, a five-year-old black Lab/golden retriever mix, is always by his side. Ilia is also one of thousands of service dogs who support people with special needs. In order to break away from being wheelchair-dependent, Cole underwent surgery in July 2008 so he would be able to walk without assistance. Ilia travelled over 7,000 miles on six planes to be by Cole's side for surgery. He supported Cole through medical treatments and physical therapy, and he encouraged the boy throughout his road to recovery. These days, Cole is able to use his entire foot, and Ilia is still by his side, walking alongside him.

ASPCA Cat of the Year
Libby, a ten-year-old tabby, was a dog’s best friend. She served as a guide cat to Terry and Deb Burns’ senior yellow Lab/shar pei mix, Cashew, who was blind and deaf. Libby helped her canine companion accomplish daily tasks, steered Cashew away from bumping into obstacles and patiently guided the blind dog to her food. The two were inseparable; Libby even slept next to Cashew at night. The only time they were apart was when Terry took Cashew for a walk. Unfortunately, Cashew passed away several years ago and to this day, Libby misses her canine companion. Libby was a true friend and hero to Cashew, and their deep-rooted friendship shows that animals of different species can understand and help each other overcome hurdles.

ASPCA Firefighter of the Year
On July 17, 2008, Adam Deem, a firefighter with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, was working the burned area from the Moon fire in Northern California, one of 158 fires started by lightning. While Deem was monitoring the trail, he noticed a six-month-old bear cub crying for his mother. The cub suffered serious burns to all four paws, and his fur was singed from the fire. With the mother nowhere to be found, Deem wrapped the frightened and injured bear in his firefighter’s jacket and took him to the Fire Incident Command Center. From there the cub, named Li'l Smokey, was treated for dehydration and sent to Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, where he is recuperating.

ASPCA “Tommy Monahan” Kid of the Year
Mimi Ausland, a 12-year-old girl from Bend, OR, wanted to do more than just volunteer at her local animal shelter. After four months of careful planning, hard work and support from her parents, Mimi launched Freekibble.com in April 2008. Mimi’s primary mission is to provide food to dogs and cats at the Humane Society of Central Oregon. She made it fun for people to help contribute to her cause through playing a trivia game on her website. Since April 1, 2008, Mimi has donated more than 47 million pieces of kibble, which would feed approximately 1,900 dogs and 2,300 cats every day for a month. Mimi's program is now feeding animals at a total of eight shelters across the country.

This award is dedicated to Tommy Monahan, a nine-year-old Staten Island boy who perished last year trying to save his dog from a house fire.

ASPCA Law Enforcement Officer of the Year
Diane Balkin is Chief Deputy District Attorney for the City and County of Denver and has worked in the District Attorney’s office since 1979. For nearly 30 years, Balkin has been an advocate for humans and animals, working tirelessly to send a message that animal abuse will not be tolerated. While she has prosecuted all types of felonies, such as sexual assault, homicide and aggravated robbery, her passion is to promote animal welfare by prosecuting those who neglect or abuse animals.

Over the past year, Balkin successfully prosecuted a South Dakota dog breeder for cruelty to animals and saved 19 of his horribly neglected puppies who were left unattended in a truck. In another cruelty case, she prosecuted a Denver man who killed a Chihuahua with a shovel and then threw the pet's lifeless body in a dumpster. Both defendants were found guilty, and in the Chihuahua case, the defendant was sentenced to six years in prison.

Balkin, a member of the Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine, speaks at conferences nationwide about animal cruelty prosecutions and trains veterinarians, law enforcement officials, students and citizens about the link between cruelty to animals and violence toward humans. She has been instrumental in changing Colorado laws to facilitate the prosecution of animal abusers, and her commitment and steadfast determination to raise awareness about animal cruelty have made an immense impact in Colorado, as well as nationwide.

ASPCA Henry Bergh Award
Dr. Phil Bushby, a board certified veterinary surgeon, is no stranger to the ASPCA. Thirty-six years ago, Dr. Bushby started his career as an intern and surgical resident at the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York City. For the last three decades, he has been on the faculty at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he currently serves as Service Chief with a focus on spay/neuter programs. He also holds the Marcia P. Lane Endowed Professorship of Humane Ethics and Animal Welfare and is a board member of MS-SPAN (Mississippi Spay and Neuter), an ASPCA Mission: Orange partner agency in Gulfport-Biloxi.

Bushby was an integral member of the Veterinary Shelter and Neuter Task Force and Shelter Residency Standards Task Force (organized by the ASPCA and PetSmart Charities). He spearheaded the MSU Disaster Response projects during Hurricane Katrina, and is on the road four days each week, taking students to eight Mississippi shelters to provide them with spay/neuter and shelter medicine experience. He recently traveled to Turkey to speak on spay/neuter issues.

Bushby’s goal is to expose veterinary students to shelters across Mississippi, educate them about the problem of pet overpopulation, and help them find ways to play a role in the solution. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.

ASPCA Presidential Service Award
There’s no mission that’s impossible for Stache, a four-year-old black Lab. Stache and his handler, Jim McCans, have been involved in nearly two dozen searches, including a trip to Mississippi to find a Hurricane Katrina victim, and solving a missing persons case in Philadelphia. Within the last year, Stache and Jim were asked to provide assistance in Iraq, where they faced their biggest challenge—to search for missing American service men and women. Stache and Jim found nine separate recoveries, but not before a close brush with death when an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) exploded in their path in Owesat, Iraq. The blast left Stache with temporary hearing loss, but he has since recovered and returned to the states. Stache hasn’t forgotten the soldiers who befriended him during his stint in Iraq; he recently visited two soldiers who were severely injured from the same blast at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

ASPCA Lifetime Achievement Award
Mamdouha S. Bobst is a humanitarian, a philanthropist and animal advocate who has dedicated her life to helping others in need. She and her late husband, Elmer Holmes Bobst, are important supporters of health research and university centers both in the United States and in Lebanon.

Her generosity is not limited to humans, however. Bobst has donated funds to support the Animal Medical Center, where she founded the Mamdouha Bobst Hospital in New York City. The veterinary hospital treats more than 30,000 animals annually and offers routine care, emergency services and treatment for pets suffering from unusual or complex diseases. Bobst has also been an ASPCA supporter for several years and, with her late husband, helped finance the renovation of the ASPCA Adoption Center in Manhattan. In 2006, the renovation was completed, and today the building’s front lobby is named after them. Needless to say, Bobst’s contributions have saved countless numbers of animals in need.

Adoption Diaries: Tough Job, But Someone’s Gotta Do It

Elyse’s Adoption Diary

I loved opening up my email and finding this in my inbox:

“Adorable kittens in office cubicle need socializing! These kittens are in need of human attention and exercise outside their cage. The kittens are all very social, but are getting stir crazy, and we do need to ensure that they get consistent human contact to remain friendly to people. We need cat socializers who can spend time with them. I know this is a tough job cuddling with adorable kittens, but someone's got to do it!”
Barbara MacDonald
ASPCA Volunteer Coordinator, Feline Enrichment

And so I journeyed to the ASPCA Adoption Center to perform the tedious chore of playing with kittens. Amy Geduldig, ASPCA Manager, Media and Communications, joined me:

kitten collage:

Here are the players in the kitten collage above. The gray tabbies are Ludwig, Clara and Johannes (methinks someone named them while listening to classical music?); the orange tabby is Colin; The black kits are Colette and Craig, and finally, the proud Mama is Asbury. Mama Asbury was so relieved to have us babysitters show up and give her a break!

And here is another set of kittens in yet another office cubicle. (Amazing how anyone gets any work done!!!) Please forgive my corny narrative:

“I’m getting you out!”

At 12 days old, a kitten’s ears are not fully developed. Ack, too cute, too cute! I love seeing “0 months” listed as their age. It cracks me up.

I had to give a shout-out to Nutella here. She was our “Pet Of The Week” recently and made quite a splash! I received tons of messages about her, many from folks expressing interest in adopting her. She’s still available, however. Please, New Yorkers, this great dog would make an amazing pet. If you know someone who’s looking, have them meet Nutella. UPDATE 09/30 Hooray—Nutella was adopted!

“Hello, I’m Zeus. Don’t count me out just because I’m a 10-year old pit bull. Everyone here loves me and says I’d be the most wonderful pet you could imagine!”

** Be sure to check out my Flickr page to see all the photos from my visits to the adoption center.

** View available animals at our adoption center.

Don’t be shy! Leave me a comment and tell me the animal ya like best!

I look forward to hearing from you.

Today Is World Rabies Day

What have you done to help fight rabies lately? If the answer is "nothing," no need to look sheepish and lower your head to the floor. Today, September 28, is a special day dedicated to the prevention of this harmful disease. So now you can ask yourself, "What will I do on World Rabies Day?"

Here's how to get involved. The most important thing you can do is vaccinate your pet, and if you've already done so, make sure your friends do it, too.

Dr. Louise Murray, ASPCA Director of Medicine, weighs in: "It's essential that pet parents ensure their pets are protected from rabies; this fatal disease is completely preventable with proper vaccination. Together, we can all work to eradicate rabies, a devastating disease affecting both humans and animals across the globe."

In short, vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate!

Visit the website of World Rabies Day for more information.

ASPCA Pet of the Week: Diamond in the Rough

When Vincent first arrived at the ASPCA Adoption Center, we soon realized that it would take him a while to warm up to people. “He came in so scared that he was shaking. He would cringe every time someone tried to touch him,” recalls Katie Watts, ASPCA Feline Behavior Counselor.

As it turned out, Vincent discovered in just a few weeks that he does indeed like those wacky large things called humans! He’s no dummy—“As soon as you start scratching his head (his favorite spot), he just melts and starts purring,” Katie tells us. “This guy really is a diamond in the rough!” He may still be a little shy with new people, but one thing Vincent’s not is camera shy! When he sees a picture-snapping gizmo, he promptly sticks his nose directly in the lens (making it quite difficult to snap a photo).

This striking beaut “needs a nice quiet home with a patient, loving and quiet human companion,” says Katie. He may be picky, but if you win his heart, he’ll be an amazing pet. If you’re interested in adopting Vincent, please call the ASPCA Animal Placement department at (212) 876-7700, ext. 4120. To see other animals who are waiting for homes, please visit the ASPCA Adoption Center online.

NYC Adoption Success Story: Graham Central Station

In early September, Manhattan resident Layla Alvandi met her new roommate, Graham, in the cattery at the ASPCA Adoption Center. A tough cookie with a tender middle, the two-year-old cat had waited patiently for months to meet a friend he could count on.

The orange love bug—formerly known as Monroe—first arrived at the ASPCA in rough shape. He was rescued as a stray wandering the outer borough streets of the Bronx and suffering from a head wound. Veterinarians at the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital performed surgery to fix the wound, which was likely self-inflicted from excessive scratching. But even after a speedy recovery, this brave cat still struggled with skin allergies that required a hypoallergenic diet.

Graham’s special needs were hardly a deterrent for Layla, who, on first meeting, thought he was very special indeed. “He is seriously the best cat!” she says. “He loves belly rubs and playing fetch with his little toy mouse. And now he likes to sleep with his head on my stomach or in the crook of my arm.”

Though he came from the streets, Graham is a lap cat by nature and, according to his pet mama, has the biggest purr for a tiny body. And his adventurer’s spirit still thrives—after days spent trying to open a closet door in his new home, he finally succeeded. “He got stuck in the storage area above my clothes,” Layla describes. “When I came to get him, he jumped on my shoulder and rode around for awhile.”

Finally this special cat has found a shoulder to lean on, and Layla, for her part, has found a loving mate. “I’m so grateful to the ASPCA for taking such good care of him for eight months,” she says, “so I had a chance to find him.”

Wanna Be a Shelter Volunteer? Live Chat Today!

What kind of training do I need to volunteer at a shelter?

My teenager wants to volunteer—what does she need to know?

I run an animal shelter in my small town. How can I find qualified volunteers?

Donating your time to animals in need is one of the most rewarding commitments you can make. Volunteering at a shelter provides mutual fulfillment for both human and animal—and it’s a great way to satisfy your desire for animal companionship if you can’t have a pet right now or your landlord doesn’t allow animals. Volunteering is also a fun option for older students who want school community service experience.

Join Diane Wilkerson, Senior Manager at the ASPCA Adoption Center, for a live discussion on shelter volunteering in the ASPCA Online Community. The chat will take place today, September 26, from noon to 2:00 P.M. EST. Interestingly, Diane was a volunteer herself before joining our staff!

When Cats Meet Baby

Elyse is back and ready to report on life with two cats and a newborn!

A few months ago, when I was very pregnant, I asked for your advice on the ASPCA Online Community—how do I keep my cats out of the crib? Community members offered me great tips on kitty deterrents. Alas, nothing worked…until I gave birth. Apparently a baby is the ultimate kitty deterrent.

When we brought Melody home from the hospital, we put her in her bassinet. Bruce and Maow, my orange tabby brother-and-sister duo, came over for a sniff. Up until then, the bassinet had been their territory (despite my best efforts). What was this little pink thing doing in their bed? After a few minutes of exploring, they sashayed away. Perhaps they lost interest. Or perhaps they understood that this was a baby, fragile and in need of protection. All I know is, from that moment on, the cats never again set paw in either the bassinet or the crib.

I can’t say the same for Melody’s toys or her stroller.

When the kid’s away, the cat will play.

Caught in the act.

Melody, now three months old, shows no interest in her orange brother and sister, but I look forward to watching them become friends. I imagine “cat” will be among her first words. Right now, my cat kids do little more than sniff her now and then, but soon enough they’ll learn she has a limitless supply of cuddling and playing energy, as all kids should—and do—have.

My cats aren’t exactly what you’d call good cats. I’d go as far as calling them pretty darn naughty cats. If there is wooden furniture, they will scratch it. If there’s an open drawer, they will empty it. If there are chicken bones, they will try to steal them. They are only two years old and still full of kitten energy, zipping and leaping around the apartment, not knowing the word “obstacle.” But when they met the baby, they intuitively knew to behave around her. They are gentle and move slowly in her presence. They remind me of Marley in John Grogan’s Marley & Me. I was moved to tears when Grogan described how “the world’s worst dog” was soft and kind as could be with his babies. How do these furry little ones know? Is it something we, as their owners, are doing right? Do babies have the gift of touching everyone? Maybe. But I say the credit goes to the animals themselves, and their beautiful instincts to nurture young life. Quite magical, really.

* Expecting a little one of your own? Learn how to prepare a cat for a new baby.